Consequently, the Council of Europe is celebrating its sixty years of history in 2009, and in remembrance of the treaty — which was signed on May 5, 1949 in London by the Governments of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the French Republic, the Irish Republic, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — a commemorative event was held on May 5, 2009 at Lancaster House in London.

The reception not only featured the host David Miliband — Britain’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs holding one of the four ‘Great Offices of State’ — and the Chair of the UK Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe — John Prescott — and Terry Davis — the Council of Europe’s Secretary General — but also all our training course participants!

The day before the gathering at Lancaster House, the Secretary General joined the training course for a memorable session on European identity and what it means to be a European. When asked to describe moments in which he felt European, Terry Davis remembered historical moments that also held a strong personal meaning, in particular the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Prague Spring of 1968. Every participant appreciated the opportunity to listen to these experiences — connected with strong emotions and much before their time — as much as to share their own associations in a remarkably afternoon that brought to life the past sixty years of Europe and its people.

Thanks to the effort of many colleagues at the British Council, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the National Archives, all participants were presented with a copy of the original “Treaty of London”.